Radiator shutter



1,643 I 2 Sept. 20, 1927. H M YEAGER 9 mmmwon SHUTTER Filed Oct. 14,1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WiHw- 10 WW Sept. 20, 1927. H. M YEAGER RADIATORSHUTTER Filed Oct. 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 20, '1927.

' HENRY M. YEAGER, on

BUFFALO, NEW YOBK-ASSIGNOR TO FEDDERS MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, INC., OFBUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RADIATOR SHUTTER.

, Application. filed October 14, 1925. Serialv No. 62,427.

This invention relates to a'shutter for use in connection with radiatorswhich are emplo ed on automobiles for the purpose of coo ing the waterwhich is circulated around the engine, the purpose of this shutter belngto control the flow of air through the radiator in accordance with thetemperature simple and inexpensive in construction,

which can be readily applied to radiators of standard construction, andvhich can be readily adjusted for controlling the amount of air passingthrough the radiator to suit the temperature of the weather and which isnot liable to get out of order even when subjected to comparativelyrough usage. a

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a rear elevation of one formof shutter embodying my invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are horizontal sections taken on the correspondinglynumbered lines in Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrowsassociated with these lines.

Figure 4 is ahorizontal section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line H,Fig. 1. a

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the lower part of the shutter frame andthe lower end of one of the shutter slats pivotally mounted thereon. r,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the lower part of the shutterframe shown in Figure 1 with one of the pivot openings,

for the pintle at the lower end of one of the slats, in its openposition.

Figure 7 1s a rear elevation of the same.

Figure 8 is'a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section, on an enlargedscale, taken on line 88, F i .2. v

Figure 9 is a ragmentary vertical-section, on an enlarged scale, takenon line 99, Fig. 1. i

Figure 10 is a fragmentary vertical section, on an enlarged scale, takenon line 10 10, Fig. 1.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the shutter slats.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary horizontal sect on taken on line 12-12, Fig.11.

Figure 13 is a rear elevation of a shutter embodying a modified form ofmy invention as compared with that shown in, Figure 1. i i a Similarcharacters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

The mainframe of the shutter may be of any suitable form to suit theshape 01' the radiator with'which the same is associated. In the presentcase this shutter frame is constructed from asingle sheet of metal whichis stamped so that it is of sub vstantially rectangular form andcomprises upper and lower horizontal cross plates. 1011 and verticalside plates 1212 connecting the corresponding ends of the upper andlower plates 10-11.

The inner edge portion of the top, bottom and side plates of this frameare dished or bulged forwardly so as to form an inner rim all aroundthis edge of the frame. The inner edges of the vertical portions 13 ofthis rim are provided with inwardly and rearwardly projecting verticalflanges 14,

the inner edge of the upper horizontal portion 15 of this rim isprovidedwith an inwardly and rearwardly projecting horizontal flange 16 and thelower horizontal portion 17 of this rim is provided at its inner edgewith a horizontal and rearwardly projecting flange 18, said flanges, rimand frame plates being all constructed integrally from a single sheet ofmetal.

Arranged across the opening Within the "frame between the flanges 14, 16and 18 thereof is a plurality of slats or louvers 9 which are pivotallymounted on the frame so that they can be either fully closed or fullyopened or arranged in an intermediate or partly open position andthereby enable the air supply to the radiator to be controlled inaccordance with the temperature of the atmosphere in which the radiatoris to be used.- These slats may be variously arranged, but in theconstruction shown in Figures 1 to 12 each slat is arranged verticallyand the several slats arearranged in a horizontal row transverselyacrossthe space within the shutter frame. In the preferred construction eachof these slats is constructed from a single sheet of metal which ispivotally mounted at its opposite ends on the shutter frame and in theclosed position of the several slats each intermediate slat laps at itsopposite vertical edges over the corresponding edges of adjacent slatsand the outer vertical edges of the extreme slats either enga c with orare arranged close to the a jacent inner edge flanges of the frame. Inorder to produce a practically air tight joint between the several slatswhen they are thus closed each slat is provided on one of its verticaledges with a vertical groove 19 which is adapted to receive a flange 20on the opposing vertical edge of an adjacent slat when the several slatsare in their closed position, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, therebyexcluding the air from the radiator when the shutter is in its fullyclosed position.

In the preferred construction the seal ng groove 19 on each slat is onthe rear side thereof and the sealing flange 20 is on the front sidethereof whereby any abrasion or marking of these slats when they engagewith each other in their fully closed position will not be visible fromthe front side 5 of the shutter and thereby always maintain the sameconstantly in a neat and finished appearance.

For the purpose of stiffening these shutter slats each slat is providedmidway between its vertical edges with a forwardly projecting verticalhead 21 which is preferably of I semi-cylindrical form. The pivots ortrunnions 22, 23 whereby each slat is pivotally mounted at its upper andlower ends on the shutter frame are preferably formed intogrally of thesame sheet of metal from which the slat itself is made. This isaccomplished by providing the upper and lower ends of each slat with anextension which is bent into tubular form and preferably concentric withthe semi-cylindrical head 21 so as to practically form a continuationthereof, as shown in Figures l, 5 and 9 to 12, the joint 2 .1. in eachof these pivots or trunnions being preferably arranged centrally on therear side of each pivot.

These pivots or trunnions of the several slats are journaled in bearingopenings 25, 26 formed in the upper and lower bearing flanges 1G and 18of the shutter frame, as best shown in Figures 9 to 10. The hear ingopenings in one of these bearing flanges, for example the bearingopenings 25 in the upper flange 16 are complete and unbroken and each ofthese bearing openings there fore provides a continuous or uninterruptedcylindrical bearing surface in which the respective pivot pin ortrunnion 22 turns. The bearing openings in the other bearing flange, inthis instance the bearing openings 26 of the flange 18, are eachconnected with the adjacent edge of the respective flange by means of aslit 27 extending from this open ing to said edge of this hearingflange, as shown in Figure 4, whereby one side of each of these bearingopenings 26 may be opened up sufficiently to form an entrance way orthroat 29 through which the respective lower pivot pin or trunnion 23may be moved sidewise into this hearing opening and thereafter thisentrance way or throat may be again closed for the purpose of confiningthe pivot pin or trunnion of the shutter slat therein. As shown inFigure 4 the slit 27 extends tangentially from the pivot opening 16 tothe rear edge of the bearing flange 18, thereby forming a retain- 111glip 28 in rear of the pivot pin 28 which confines the latter in therespective bearing opening. Upon however bending this ii) 28 downwardly,as shown in Figures 6 anil 7 a wide passageway or throat 29 is formedextending from the respective bearing openmg 28 to the rear edge of thebearing flange, thereby permitting the lower pivot pin or trunnion onone of the slats to be passed laterally through the throat 29 and thenthe retaining lip 28 is again bent back into its normal position flushwith the remaining port ons of the bearing flange 1.8, as shown inFigure 5 whereby the pivot pin 23 is prevented from moving out from thepivot opening 26. By means of this construction each of the slats maytherefore be quickly assembled with the frame by first passing its upperpin or trunnion 22 lengthwise through one of the openings 25 of theupper bearing flange from the under side thereof and then moving thelower pivot pin or trunnion 23 laterally into engagement with one of thelower pivot openings 26, a d then taining these parts in this positionby bondmg the lip 28 into a position across the throat 29. The pivotalmountin of each slat on the frame is therefore e 'ected by these meanswithout the employment of any separate pieces which are deta'chablyconnected with the frame and without the use of any solder, riveting orsin'iilar fastening,

thereby not only simplifying the construc tion and ermitting ofmanufacturing the shutter at ow cost but also avoiding the persibilityof any of the parts becomin loose or detached when the shutter issubjected to vibrations or rattling incident to the use of such ashutter on the radiator of an auto mobile.

Various means may be provided for cans ing the shutter blades or ate toturn in unison for opening and closing the same either wholly or partly.'lhe preferred means for this purpose are constructed as follows:

The numeral 30 represents an operating arm or cranlr which projectsrearwardly from each slat and is preferably formed integrally therewithat the upper end there of from a single sheet of metal, as shown inFigure 8. Theseveral o erating arms of the group of slats or bla es areconnected lil'ti web 31 arranged in rear of the rear ends of the severaloperating arms and provided with upper and lower walls or flan es 32, 33which are arranged respectively a ove and below the several operatingarms of the group of shutter slats. Although various means may beprovided for ivotally connecting this shifting bar wit the severaloperating arms it is preferable to accomplish the pivotal connectionbetween each arm and.

the shifting bar by providing one of; the flanges of the shifting bar,for instance the upper flange with downwardly projecting teats orprojections 34 each of which engages with a recess 35 in the adjacentpart of the upper side of one of the operating arms 30 while the lowerflange or wall of the shifting tofore known and used, the same are as- 7bar is provided with a plurality of upwardly projecting teats orprojections 36 each of which bears against the even or undented underside of one of the operating arms 30, as shown in Figure 8.

By this means a pivotal connection is produced between the operating armof each shutter slat and 'the shifting bar which avoids the use of anybolts, pins, rivets or other separate pivoting member which not onlysimplifies and reduces the costof manufacture but also avoids theliabilit of such separate parts becoming loose. oreover thepresent'pivotal connection between the shifting bar and the arms of theshutter slats operates with a minimum of friction so that the wear uponthe same is unappreciable and therefore maintains the shutterindefinitely in good working condition.

This shifting bar may be moved horizontally in one direction or theother crosswise of the shutter by any suitable means and from anysuitable place on the automobile or elsewhere and as such means do notform any feature of this invention no disclosure or description of thesame is deemed neces: sary.

Instead of arranging the shutter slats or blades vertically and in ahorizontal row across the space within the shutter frame, as

shown in Fi res 1, 2 and 3 the same result is accomplis ed by arrangingthe shutter slats or blades in a horizontal position and in afverticalrow in the space across the frame, as shown in Figure 13, and since thischanged arrangement in no wise alters the construction of the shutter asa whole the same reference characters which are used with reference tothe structure shown in Figures 1 to 12 are also employed in theconstruction shown in Figure 13, it being assumed that the bearingflange at the lefthand side of Figure 13 corresponds to the upperbearing flange of the construction shown in Figure 1 and the bearingflange at the right-hand side of Figure 13 corre-- sponds to the lowerbearing flange 18 in Figure 1.

As a whole this radiator shutter is com- ,posed of much fewer parts thanthose heresembled without the use of any bolts, rivets or other separatefastenings and also without employing any soldering, brazing or the likeand the several parts are also so mounted relatively to each other thatthey work with a minimum amount of friction, thereby enabling thisshutter to be manufactured at low cost and to be operated with ease andconvenience and without liability of getting out of order.

I claim as my invention A radiator shutter comprising a sheet metalframe provided with hearing flanges, a plurality of slats arran ed in arow across the space Within said rame and having pintles journaled insaid flanges and each slat being provided with an integral arm and eacharm being flat on one side and provided with a recess on its oppositeside, and a shifting bar of channel form having its walls arranged onopposite sides of said arms and one of said walls being provided with aplurality of pivot teats each of which engages with the recess in one ofsaid arms and the other wall'of said bar being provided with a pluralityof teats each of which engages with the opposite flat side of one ofsaid arms.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HENRY M. YEAGER.

